Wing Commander ArenaReview

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In space, no one can hear you scream.

By Daemon Hatfield

When the all-multiplayer shooter Shadowrun was released several weeks ago, much puzzling was done over the choice to associate the title with the classic pen and paper role-playing game of the same name. Other than utilizing the character classes of Shadowrun, it really didn't have much in common with the RPG. And here we are again, wondering why this shallow, 2D shooter bears the Wing Commander name -- a franchise known for pioneering 3D vehicular battles with an epic, space opera backdrop. We could overlook the shameless attempt to trick a few people into downloading Wing Commander Arena based on the name alone if it were any good. Alas, it is not.

Let's get the pleasantries out of the way so we can get right to telling you why this game sucks. Arena is an arcade space blaster with a heavy emphasis on multiplayer deathmatch-style gameplay. There are several different play modes and 18 ships to choose from, each with its own attributes (you start out with two available and randomly unlock more as you play). Controls have been drastically simplified from previous Wing Commander games so that you steer with the left stick and perform fancy-pants (but useless) maneuvers like loops and barrel rolls with the right stick. Weapons are mapped to the triggers, bumpers, and the A button.

Although the game is simple to control, the fun in Wing Commander Arena never achieves liftoff. The lackluster tutorial, clumsy interface, and dearth of options ensure players will be wandering aimlessly around the furthest reaches of space. Before launching into a proper game, players can take a ship for a spin in the Proving Grounds, where they can theoretically hone their skills. Unfortunately, the Proving Grounds don't provide any helpful hints or suggestions of what to do, where to go, or how to pilot your ship. You're simply dropped into outer space and some jerk flies up and starts shooting you. A first-timer's thought process may go something like:

"Okay, just dropped 800 Microsoft Points on Wing Commander Arena, here we go. Wait, why is that guy shooting me? How do I shoot him back? Crap, I blew up. Ok, I'm back in it. Here's a space station. Looks like I can dock with it. What does that do? Hm, I'm docked but nothing seems to be happening. Wait, someone's shooting me again. Crap, I blew up. All right, this time I'm gonna seize the day. Oh, here are some items. What do they do? Guess I'll never know. Let's see what's in this direction. Flying, flying, flying&#Array; Nothing's out here. Awesome."

Looks exciting, doesn't it? Fooled you.

Playing one of the single- or multiplayer modes isn't much more focused. Your HUD is never explained, and while you'll eventually figure out many of the readings, some may forever remain a mystery. The purposes of items strewn about each game are also never made clear, even after futile processes of trial and error. When joining a multiplayer game online, Wing Commander Arena doesn't feel the need to let you in on the type of game you've joined. You can see it if you pause the action, and then all first-timers have to do is back out of the game and flip through a dozen pages of "How-To" to figure out what is required of them.

The list of missing features one normally expects in competitive multiplayer games goes on. There's no way to tell how many players are participating in a game. You can't set any match options like time limit, number of bots, difficulty of bots, items, weapons&#Array; All the things you would normally expect to be able to do in a competitive multiplayer game, you can't. Melee mode is timed but it doesn't tell you for how long (it's 10 minutes -- and you can't change that). When you join a Deathmatch game you aren't told what number of kills you're playing to, so games just go on and on with no end in sight. Games need to set a goal for players to work towards, otherwise you're just aimlessly -- well, playing Wing Commander Arena.

Arena's sound continues its tradition of shoddy presentation. There are only a few different tunes and they become repetitive quickly. But what's worse is they're on an uneven loop. Like a DVD title menu, the audio takes a moment to reset when it reaches the end of its loop, making for a jarring listening experience.

Wing Commander Arena

Wing Commander Arena is a fast-paced space combat game where players can team up to attack other teams of ships.

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The Verdict

At this year's Game Developers Conference we listened to the head of Xbox Live Arcade speak about the qualities Microsoft required of each XBLA title. Chief among these traits was a casual, pick-up-and-play experience that would welcome newcomers while promising layers of depth for hardcore gamers to explore. We don't know how Wing Commander Arena snuck past Microsoft's QA department, but it manages to be both convoluted and shallow all at the same time. Playing this game can literally be related to Lost in Space.